BY KRISTI REEDThe Barrow County Planning Board had a split vote at Thursday night’s meeting regarding a special use permit to would allow heavy equipment to be stored on property located at 105 Dunahoo Road.

With only four commission members in attendance and no way to break a 2-2 tie, the permit request will now proceed to the Board of Commissioners without a recommendation from the planning board.

District 2 board member Wayne Alexander and District 5 board member Howard Hawthorne voted to deny the request for the special use permit. Scott Hang, District 6, and at-large commissioner Chet Holiday voted in favor of the request.

The request will go before the Barrow Board of Commissioners on April 22 for a final decision.

Applicant Chris Mann requested permission to store heavy equipment on his 7.33 acres on Donahoo Road. Mann said he uses the equipment for his grading business and would occasionally use the equipment on his property for agricultural purposes. The dump trucks, tractors, bobcat and other equipment would be stored within a 75’ by 65’ barn on the property.

Four owners of neighboring property attended the hearing to voice their opposition to the permit.

Lee Lovett, a resident of Windemere Subdivision, told the planning board that Mann’s property is surrounded by subdivisions and private homes. Lovett said the grading business is “totally out of character for the area.”

Lovett expressed concerned about the noise from the heavy machinery, the affect on resale values of neighboring property and Mr. Mann’s irregular hours of operation.

Mann admitted that he does occasionally have heavy equipment entering and leaving the property in the middle of the night.

In other business, the planning commission recommended approval for a request to rezone 7.28 acres on Holsenbeck School Road from AG to AR and 1.04 acres from AG to R-1. The acreage will be split into two tracts for the purpose of building two single family homes. That request will also go before the BOC on April 22.

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